The Brutal Beauty in the University of New South Wales Sir John Clancy Auditorium

In a time of destruction and redaction of many brutalist buildings due to a lack of public understanding, a refurbishment which elevates the legibility of a building of this style is extremely salient. 

Lahznimmo  architects’ alterations and additions to the UNSW Sir John Clancy Auditorium do just that, contemporising the legibility of this typically difficult style by cracking open its shell to reveal a jewel-like centre.

Originally designed by Fowell Mansfield Jarvis and MacLurcan Architects, this building withstood the typical decline of many brutalist buildings through insensitive additions, subtractions and lack of maintenance. In an erudite move, the university chose to rehabilitate this auditorium rather than replace it.

Standing as an imposing sentry to the Upper Kensington Campus Gate Nine Arrival Precinct, lahznimmo have reestablished its address by folding open its entrances to a gold, purple and royal blue interior. This rich interior takes its cues from the existing tapestry Banner, installed by the artist Mona Hessing and spanning 20m across the northern foyer. These sonorous colours and textures are juxtaposed against the cool off-form concrete walls and soffits, which have been painstakingly restored, elevating the intended brutal beauty of this modernist monument.

Project Information

Architect: Lahznimmo Architects

Photography: Brett Boardman